Nurse left with broken spine three weeks before wedding by police chase danger driver in Newcastle

A nurse spent her wedding day on crutches after a speeding danger driver broke her spine and pelvis while being chased by police.

Nasir Al Soaimi had sparked a police pursuit after refusing to pull over for officers who had found his car was not insured. As he travelled along Claremont Road, in Newcastle city centre, he was doing 58mph on the 30mph stretch when he smashed into the nurse's car as she pulled out of a side street.

Newcastle Crown Court heard she was badly hurt and ended up having to get married three weeks later on crutches and cancel her honeymoon. Now Al Soaimi, 19, an asylum seeking from Kuwait studying at Gateshead College at the time, who had never had any training in how to drive, has been sent to a young offenders institution for 28 months.

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It was around 8.45pm on April 1 last year that police became aware of a black Citroen Al Soaimi was driving on the Coast Road. After carrying out checks, officers found there was no insurance on the car and decided to follow it before trying to pull it over.

Al Soaimi refused to stop and tried to make off, sparking a pursuit. In Jesmond Road, he went through a red light before going onto the A167 and travelling the wrong way around a roundabout.

He then drove along Claremont Road, which has a 30mph limit, at 58mph and when a Volvo car pulled out from a side street, he smashed into the side of it. His passenger ran off and Al Soaimi, who was badly injured himself, was dragged from the car by police.

The woman driving the Volvo was taken to the nearby RVI and found to have fractures to her pelvis and spine. She said in a victim impact statement: "This accident is the first I've had in 24 years I've been driving and it's had a massive impact on my life."

The victim, who had to be cut free from her Volvo, was left in severe pain from fractures to her pelvis and vertebrae and had to take months off from her job as a nurse. She said her car, which had sentimental value as it had been given to her by her late stepdad shortly before he died, had to be written off.

She added: "The accident happened three weeks before I was due to get married. I did get married but the injuries massive impacted my dream day." She said she had to take strong painkillers and use crutches for her wedding day and was unable to dance.

She added: "I'm going to have wedding pictures of me using crutches, which is not a thing I will enjoy looking at." She said their honeymoon to Paris also had to be cancelled due to her injuries and added: "This was definitely not the wedding or honeymoon I dreamed of."

The woman is still having physio for her injuries, the court heard.

Al Soaimi, who has no previous convictions but has never held a driving licence, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence and having no insurance. As well as the custodial sentence, he will be banned from driving for two years after his release.

Recorder Anthony Dunne said: "On that night, you had no right to be driving a car. You had no licence, you had no training, you had no insurance." Al Soaimi claimed he didn't know he needed a licence or insurance to drive but a judge said this made his position even more serious than knowing the rules and flouting them.

The judge told him: "It's difficult to believe, having seen the footage, that no one was killed.

Rachel Hedworth, defending, said: "He is completely and utterly remorseful. He has to live with the guilt about the effect this has had on the victim."

Miss Hedworth said Al Soaimi, living on Tyneside at the time but now of Jenkin Road, Sheffield, suffered a bleed on the brain, broken arm, seven broken robs and fractures to his thigh, kneecap and ankle, in the crash. He has had three operations on his leg and had metal rods inserted in it. She added that he is now on medication for flashbacks and anxiety.

She said he was studying at Gateshead College at the time and he and his family are being housed in accommodation paid for by the government while they appeal against a refusal to grant them asylum. Miss Hedworth said he had "foolishly" bought the car for £150.

The court was provided with references from people saying Al Soaimi is a caring person.